Club Touch — a popular Midtown nightclub that’s given NYPD cops fits due to its allegedly chronic over-crowding, underage drinking, drug use, aggressive bouncers and random acts of violence – has finally been shuttered by the State Liquor Authority, officials said.
The club, which has hosted Fashion Week parties as well as a premiere gala for the show, “The Real Housewives of New York City,” was cited with 21 separate SLA violations where “no fewer than 19 violent fights and/or illegal activities” erupted since December 2008, according to SLA documents.
The SLA violations include four alcohol sales to minors, twelve assaults, employment of an unlicensed bouncer, two noise infractions, dangerous overcrowding and failing to supervise, the SLA maintained.
Four assaults involved bouncers getting rough with club patrons, the SLA charged.
Club Touch owner, Muhamet Nikezi, vehemently denied the charges through a spokeswoman and vowed to fight the accusations at an SLA hearing next week.
“We are being persecuted simply for being a nightclub,” he insisted.
He noted that his club employed 50 people and had “hosted events for Albanian flood victims, Haitian relief efforts and have even had Mayor Bloomberg host an event at Touch.”
“Hopefully, the truth will prevail and our employees will be able to go back to work, which is good for everyone,” he added.
The SLA painted a far less benign picture, however.
“In sum, police focal attention on this licensed premises has been sustained and consistent for this disorderly club,” an internal SLA document charged.
One alleged bouncer attack occurred New Year’s Eve, after a disc jockey was struck in the head with a glass bottle by an unruly patron who stormed into the sound booth, an incident that sent the DJ to a local hospital.
The patron suspected of hurling the bottle was allegedly dragged to the roof of building by security guards, where he was beaten for approximately 25 minutes, suffering a fractured shoulder, a broken nose and had wallet stolen.
A club employee was arrested two weeks later and for assault and robbery after it emerged he urged on the bouncers, the SLA charged.
Other alleged incidents include:
* On May 16, a fight erupted between patrons exiting at closing time, leading to one of them being stabbed. A hammer covered in bloody fingerprints was recovered at the scene.
* On Feb. 15, a police captain from the Midtown North Precinct warned a club manager to keep track of the patrons entering the club, which has a capacity of 400.
A sergeant and four to six cops were assigned to watch the premises, but several hours later, a fight erupted inside the “dangerously overcrowded” club.
Approximately 30 cops needed an hour and a half to evacuate the premises and restore order, which led to the arrest of four people, including three juveniles, aged 14, 17 and 18, for criminal mischief.
In 2009, Club Touch was cited with a $3,000 fine for selling alcohol to a minor on Nov. 8, 2008 and in 2004, the club was hit with a $1,000 fine for a June 3, 2007 health violation.